SA’s Burmester leads LIV Golf Chicago

Stimpmeter · August 10, 2025, 1:00pm

Dean Burmester will take a two-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round at LIV Golf Chicago.

The South African will play in the final group alongside Jon Rahm, a two-time Major winner and reigning LIV Golf individual champion, and Joséle Ballester, the talented 21-year-old Spaniard who turned pro in June to join LIV Golf.

“Going to have to brush up on my Spanish,” said Burmester with a smile after closing with a superb six-under 65 to move to nine under after two rounds at Bolingbrook Golf Club.

Rahm, captain of Legion XIII, is chasing his first individual win of the season and aiming to overtake Torque GC captain Joaquín Niemann in the individual standings before next week’s regular-season finale in Indianapolis. Niemann, tied for 39th, has left the door open.

“No matter if I win, I’m going to have a real possibility of catching him and possibly passing him next week,” Rahm said after carding a four-under 67 to reach seven under.

He rebounded from two bogeys in his first 10 holes by playing the last eight in six under.

“Score-wise, it’s almost a tale of two nines, but feeling-wise felt great all day.”

Ballester, meanwhile, is seeking a breakout moment early in his professional career. Playing just his fifth LIV Golf event, the 2024 US Amateur champion has found form as a member of Fireballs GC, with a final-round 67 at Valderrama and a tie for seventh in the UK moving him into the open zone at 42nd in points. A win would put him within reach of the lock zone.

“These are the moments I practise for so much in my career, and being able to lift my first one tomorrow would be pretty fun,” said Ballester after a 66.

Burmester, chasing his second LIV Golf victory after winning in Miami last year, is riding a strong run after a low point in Andalucía, where he finished 51st – the worst result of his LIV Golf career. Determined to improve his fitness, he shed weight to avoid fatigue and has since posted a top-five finish in the UK.

His second round showcased that improved fitness, with a bogey-free back nine featuring an eagle and three birdies.

“I feel better about how I look and how I feel, the whole vibe around how I walk around the golf course,” he said.

Burmester’s Stinger GC side is also tied for the team lead at 10 under with the Fireballs and Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC, who won at Bolingbrook last year.

Torque GC are five shots back in fourth.

The Stingers last won a team title at LIV Golf Tulsa in 2023 – the last time the team stayed together in the same house before this week.

“It could be a good omen for us,” Burmester said.

Photo: LIV Golf

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